PISA Science Scores by Country

What Is PISA Science Scores?

PISA Science Scores measure average performance in science literacy for 15-year-old students in the Programme for International Student Assessment, conducted every three years by the OECD. The test evaluates students’ ability to apply scientific concepts and reasoning to real-world scenarios. This score provides an international benchmark of science understanding and critical thinking across education systems.

Why PISA Science Scores Matters to a Country’s Progress

  • Indicates scientific literacy, as strong scores reflect students’ ability to interpret data and understand scientific phenomena.
  • Predicts workforce readiness, since science skills support careers in healthcare, research, and emerging technologies.
  • Informs education policy, because governments use PISA science data to identify gaps in curricula and resource allocation.

Implications for Policy & Society

  • Low science scores often prompt investment in teacher training, laboratory facilities, and hands-on science programs.
  • High scores can attract interest from international researchers and support cross-border education partnerships.
  • Persistent gaps between regions or socioeconomic groups highlight the need for equitable resource distribution and early STEM interventions.
  • Tracking year-over-year changes helps evaluate the impact of initiatives like inquiry-based learning and digital science tools.

How to Read the Rankings

  • A higher PISA Science Score indicates stronger average science literacy among 15-year-olds in that country.
  • “Most Recent Year” shows the latest average score; “Change” reflects the difference from the prior cycle’s results.
  • Score shifts may result from cohort differences, curriculum reforms, or changes in test participation rather than long-term trends.

Ranking Highlights

  • Kazakhstan tops the progress rankings in PISA Scores (Science), recording an increase from 397 to 423. Dominican Republic follows with a gain from 336 to 360, while Panama rounds out the top three, rising from 365 to 388.
  • Across all 70 countries, the average year-over-year change was -4 percentage points with a median change of -2 percentage points.
  • Overall, 30 countries improved in this area while 39 worsened. Click on a country to open the full country scorecard and see how it performs across a range of key indicators.
Rank Country Most Recent Year Previous Year Change
1Kazakhstan flag Kazakhstan423 (2022)397 (2018)+26.00 pp
2Dominican Republic flag Dominican Republic360 (2022)336 (2018)+24.00 pp
3Panama flag Panama388 (2022)365 (2018)+23.00 pp
4Japan flag Japan547 (2022)529 (2018)+18.00 pp
5Brunei flag Brunei446 (2022)431 (2018)+15.00 pp
6Qatar flag Qatar432 (2022)419 (2018)+13.00 pp
7Croatia flag Croatia483 (2022)472 (2018)+11.00 pp
8Singapore flag Singapore561 (2022)551 (2018)+10.00 pp
9Italy flag Italy477 (2022)468 (2018)+9.00 pp
10South Korea flag South Korea528 (2022)519 (2018)+9.00 pp
11Malta flag Malta466 (2022)457 (2018)+9.00 pp
12Uruguay flag Uruguay435 (2022)426 (2018)+9.00 pp
13Switzerland flag Switzerland503 (2022)495 (2018)+8.00 pp
14Ireland flag Ireland504 (2022)496 (2018)+8.00 pp
15Türkiye flag Türkiye476 (2022)468 (2018)+8.00 pp
16Latvia flag Latvia494 (2022)487 (2018)+7.00 pp
17Serbia flag Serbia447 (2022)440 (2018)+7.00 pp
18Hungary flag Hungary486 (2022)481 (2018)+5.00 pp
19Australia flag Australia507 (2022)503 (2018)+4.00 pp
20Peru flag Peru408 (2022)404 (2018)+4.00 pp
21Saudi Arabia flag Saudi Arabia390 (2022)386 (2018)+4.00 pp
22Israel flag Israel465 (2022)462 (2018)+3.00 pp
23Argentina flag Argentina406 (2022)404 (2018)+2.00 pp
24Spain flag Spain485 (2022)483 (2018)+2.00 pp
25Lithuania flag Lithuania484 (2022)482 (2018)+2.00 pp
26Romania flag Romania428 (2022)426 (2018)+2.00 pp
27Austria flag Austria491 (2022)490 (2018)+1.00 pp
28Czech Republic flag Czech Republic498 (2022)497 (2018)+1.00 pp
29Denmark flag Denmark494 (2022)493 (2018)+1.00 pp
30Georgia flag Georgia384 (2022)383 (2018)+1.00 pp
31Chile flag Chile444 (2022)444 (2018)+0.00 pp
32Brazil flag Brazil403 (2022)404 (2018)-1.00 pp
33Philippines flag Philippines356 (2022)357 (2018)-1.00 pp
34United Arab Emirates flag United Arab Emirates432 (2022)434 (2018)-2.00 pp
35Colombia flag Colombia411 (2022)413 (2018)-2.00 pp
36Slovakia flag Slovakia462 (2022)464 (2018)-2.00 pp
37Bulgaria flag Bulgaria421 (2022)424 (2018)-3.00 pp
38Canada flag Canada515 (2022)518 (2018)-3.00 pp
39United States flag United States499 (2022)502 (2018)-3.00 pp
40Estonia flag Estonia526 (2022)530 (2018)-4.00 pp
41New Zealand flag New Zealand504 (2022)508 (2018)-4.00 pp
42Costa Rica flag Costa Rica411 (2022)416 (2018)-5.00 pp
43United Kingdom flag United Kingdom500 (2022)505 (2018)-5.00 pp
44Sweden flag Sweden494 (2022)499 (2018)-5.00 pp
45France flag France487 (2022)493 (2018)-6.00 pp
46Luxembourg flag Luxembourg477 (2018)483 (2015)-6.00 pp
47Slovenia flag Slovenia500 (2022)507 (2018)-7.00 pp
48Belgium flag Belgium491 (2022)499 (2018)-8.00 pp
49Portugal flag Portugal484 (2022)492 (2018)-8.00 pp
50Mexico flag Mexico410 (2022)419 (2018)-9.00 pp
51Russia flag Russia478 (2018)487 (2015)-9.00 pp
52Germany flag Germany492 (2022)503 (2018)-11.00 pp
53Finland flag Finland511 (2022)522 (2018)-11.00 pp
54Greece flag Greece441 (2022)452 (2018)-11.00 pp
55Moldova flag Moldova417 (2022)428 (2018)-11.00 pp
56Morocco flag Morocco365 (2022)377 (2018)-12.00 pp
57Montenegro flag Montenegro403 (2022)415 (2018)-12.00 pp
58Norway flag Norway478 (2022)490 (2018)-12.00 pp
59Poland flag Poland499 (2022)511 (2018)-12.00 pp
60Tunisia flag Tunisia386 (2015)398 (2012)-12.00 pp
61Indonesia flag Indonesia383 (2022)396 (2018)-13.00 pp
62Netherlands flag Netherlands488 (2022)503 (2018)-15.00 pp
63Thailand flag Thailand409 (2022)426 (2018)-17.00 pp
64Malaysia flag Malaysia416 (2022)438 (2018)-22.00 pp
65Cyprus flag Cyprus411 (2022)439 (2018)-28.00 pp
66Iceland flag Iceland447 (2022)475 (2018)-28.00 pp
67North Macedonia flag North Macedonia380 (2022)413 (2018)-33.00 pp
68Albania flag Albania376 (2022)417 (2018)-41.00 pp
69Vietnam flag Vietnam472 (2022)525 (2015)-53.00 pp
70Jordan flag Jordan375 (2022)429 (2018)-54.00 pp

Source: OECD. Only countries with complete data (both points within the past 10 years) are shown.